


Second Chances

by hollow_bones



Category: Marble Hornets, Slender Man Mythos, Slenderverse - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Crossover, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Protective Siblings, Siblings, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25879948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollow_bones/pseuds/hollow_bones
Summary: Lyra was always told growing up that God worked in mysterious ways, but she was certain God had nothing to do with this. Whatever was orchestrating her life must be some malicious being who liked to use people as puppets. He probably thought It'd be soo funny to bring her back from the dead and throw her back into this mess. She certainly wasn't laughing when she woke up in the middle of the woods on her back, staring up at the pale morning sky.*********************An AU where Lyra is resurrected for *mysterious* reasons and learns that her and her family's lives have been ruined by the Operator, much like hundreds of other poor souls. Now it's her mission to find her estranged brother Toby, and hopefully try to bring an end to the supernatural force that brought so much death and chaos to her life.
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This story is completely unrelated to my other AU, "Broken Like Me." I think Lyra is such an underrated character and there's not enough fanart/fanfiction for her. This is inspired by NerdyMixedPan's fanfiction "Lyra's Resurrection" (please check it out it makes me cry everytime!!) as well as her AMAZING Lyra cosplays. Please PLEASE go find her on A03 and TikTok and check out her stuff!

Lyra was always told growing up that God worked in mysterious ways, but she was certain God had nothing to do with this. Whatever was orchestrating her life must be some malicious being who liked to use people as puppets. He probably thought It'd be soo funny to bring her back from the dead and throw her back into this mess. She certainly wasn't laughing when she woke up in the middle of the woods on her back, staring up at the pale morning sky. She remembered a car crash, and she remembered slipping into a deep sleep, so wasn't she dead? She could recall fuzzy memories of watching from afar, like she was spying on the real world through a hazy crystal ball. Brief glimpses of her father's death, her Mother's grief, and Toby's downward spiral. Toby. Lyra sat bolt upright, digging her nails into the layer of dead leaves beneath her. The peaceful calm she had felt while waking up was gone, swallowed by a swell of panic. Scrambling to her feet, she almost fell back down from the dizzy sensation in her skull. She had never drank before, but this is what she imagined being hungover felt like. Carefully, she stumbled over to the nearest tree trunk and propped herself against it, patting and prodding herself. It was her body, free of injuries, not even a scratch. She reached up and ran her fingers through her ponytail, hands shaking. She was alive... but why? How?  
She was suddenly aware of the slight chill in the air, her bare legs prickling with goosebumps. She was wearing a tank top and shorts when the accident happened, it was the middle of March then. How much time had passed? Tilting her head back and slowly surveying the forest around her, she instantly recognized the familiar landscape of Colorado. The leaves of the spruce, fir, and aspen trees were all brilliant shades of autumnal colors. Some drifted down to the forest floor silently in the slight breeze. So it was fall. In her dark, restless slumber in the afterlife it never occurred to her just how much she would miss fall in Colorado. The colorful leaves looked like fire in the sunlight. Fire. She shivered, banishing all thoughts of melted metal and flames licking at car windows. She had to find out where she was and why, and to do that she needed to keep a level head. Lyra prided herself on her ability to be calm and collected in stressful situations, so she decided for now that she would ignore the fact that she may or may not be dreaming or a reanimated corpse.  
Her ears pricked at the sound of people talking and laughing. It didn't sound very far, but she couldn't place which direction it was coming from until she spotted smoke rising from the trees. With a shaky breath, she began to trek towards the tendrils of smoke. Finally the trees thinned out into a clearing, where the source of the smoke was. She almost sighed out loud in relief at the sight of a small house, it's chimney billowing out smoke and it's windows lit. Two children were playing outside, chasing each other around the yard and collapsing into large piles of leaves. Lyra hobbled towards them, her jelly legs gradually getting stronger. When they spotted her, the two little girls stopped their game and gaped at her.  
"H-hey guys!" Lyra activated her little kid voice that she used to use when she would babysit in highschool, stooping down slightly to look the little girls in the eye. "Are your parents home?" She wondered how crazy she looked hobbling out of the woods with dirt under her fingernails and leaves in her hair. Apparently pretty terrifying, because with horrified expressions the two girls began to wail and ran back inside their home. 

**********************

“So sorry for that dear, it’s not often we have people wander in.” Mrs. Shaw apologized for the tenth time, placing down a steaming cup of earl gray tea in front of Lyra.   
“I didn’t mean to intrude, I just... didn’t know what else to do,” Lyra said, graciously accepting the tea. She gulped it down, ignoring how it burned her throat and just grateful to have something to drink.   
“Don’t sweat it kiddo, I’m glad you came to us. You look awful,” Mr. Shaw began, earning a slap on the arm from his wife. “She does!” He protested. “Wouldn’t want her to just wander around the woods and let the vultures pick her clean.” Mrs. Shaw shot her husband an exasperated look. Lyra couldn’t help but smile, she had a sense of people’s hearts. These were good folks, it was easy to tell.   
“What happened to you?” Mrs.Shaw asked, sitting down in the wooden chair across from Lyra at the dinner table. Lyra swallowed hard, her throat still dry despite the cup of tea she just chugged. She was never very good at lying, so she told the truth. A washed out, much more believable version of the truth.  
“I had a little car accident, I was just trying to find somewhere to rest and find a phone.” Mrs. Shaw wrung her hands together.  
“Oh you poor thing! Should I take you to the hospital?” She fretted.  
“I can help tow your car to town,” Mr.Shaw offered as well. Lyra instantly shook her head.  
“No! No that’s alright. Would you mind just taking me to the nearest town so I can find a pay phone?” She asked.   
“Of course, let me get you some tea and some crackers for the road, you look hungry,” Mrs. Shaw set to work fetching her car keys and scarf, as well as the aforementioned snacks. Lyra cleared her throat to nervously address Mr. Shaw  
“I’m sorry if this sounds strange but... Can you tell me what day it is?” Mr. Shaw eyed her skeptically.  
“Ya sure you don’t need a hospital?”

**********************

A year and a half. She’d been dead for almost a year and a half. She was still reeling from that information when Mrs. Shaw dropped her off in the nearest town of Boulder, Colorado. She shakily thanked Mrs. Shaw for the snacks and bus money and wandered around the streets until she found a bus stop. It took her a while to find a bus that was headed to Denver, and it took all the money she was given to pay for the hour long trip. She made her way to the very back, curling up into the corner of the seat and resting her head against the cold glass of the window. She had been so tempted to find a phone and call her mother, but she didn't want to unload this kind of information onto her over the phone. Her mom probably wouldn't believe it anyways. Lyra hoped that she would still be at the same address. If for some reason she wasn't at home, she could always try her aunt's house.  
The bus ride to Denver was a nerve-wracking one for her, spent nervously picking at the faux leather seats and trying to lull herself into sleep. She felt exhausted, but she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes. Every time she did she was tormented by the sound of screeching tires and the vision of her younger brother's limp form in the wreckage of her car. She hoped he wasn't awake for any of the aftermath, she would hate for him to have to see her on the verge of death. Her heart ached for Toby, and she couldn't help but feel partly responsible for what happened. Although, she wasn't entirely sure what had occurred, all she had were the small snippets she saw from the other side. Was he even alive? Was mom? Her heart rate grew quicker as the bus slowed to a stop in the station. She stumbled off the bus, allowing herself to be pushed and shoved by the wave of passengers departing. She recognized where she was, the main square of downtown. She could walk to her house from here, but it would take an hour or more. Well, she thought with an internal sigh, Better get started.  


The house loomed over her like a terrifying monster. Before the quaint blue two story building would have been inviting with it's covered porch and white window shutters, but now it's familiar sight was almost sickening. Even though she had seen a sliver of her father's death in her afterlife, her stomach still churned at the thought of seeing him again. What if when she walked in he was right there, ready to beat her and her mother again? What if her poor Toby really wasn't waiting for her inside, with that goofy sideways grin he always gave her. Her mother's car was parked in the driveway, next to the empty space where her father used to park his truck. A slight breeze tickled her skin, which was already covered in goosebumps. Her childhood neighborhood was as busy as she had remembered it, she could hear children down the street screaming joyously as they played, the distant sound of a lawnmower, and birdsong. Almost as if nothing had changed. With a deep breath she began to approach her front door, which was painted a dark gray. She peered through the small window, but it was dark inside. Raising a shaky hand, she let her knuckles graze over the door before she knocked hard three times. Silence. She chewed her lip and bounced on the balls of her feet before knocking even harder, ringing the doorbell for good measure.  
Movement from inside the house. She heard muffled footsteps and the sound of a lock being turned before the front door slowly opened a crack. Lyra's breath hitched in her throat as the door opened fully. Her mother stood in front of her, looking just as she remembered her, but her eyes were dark and sullen and her complexion pale. Connie's green eyes lifted to meet her daughter's, and Lyra was surprised at how much more color seemed to drain from her face.  
"L-Lyra?"


	2. Chapter Two

Her mom reacted pretty much the way Lyra had expected. First there was silence as she gaped at her daughter, then hysterical screaming, then sobbing, and then she fainted. Lyra had to drag her mother back inside the house, careful not to slam her poor mom's legs in the door when she hastily closed it behind them. She didn't have time to reminisce and wander around her home, instead hoisting her mother onto the sofa in the living room and hurrying to the kitchen. She searched for an ice pack and wrapped it in a towel, returning to sit by her mother's side. She watched from the floor as her mother's chest rose and fell softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. She had sort of hoped for a more tearful reunion with more hugging than screaming. Lyra gently held the ice-pack to her mother's forehead until she noticed her eyes flutter open.  
Connie abruptly sat up and leaned away from Lyra, her hand flying to rub her temple as she stared wide eyed at Lyra. They both froze for a few moments, eyes locked, both breathing heavily. Lyra opened her mouth to soothe her mother, but Connie's hand tentatively reached forward, shaking. With trembling fingers Connie gingerly stroked Lyra's cheek.  
"Is.... Is it really you?" she choked out. Lyra's eyes swelled with tears, and all she could manage was a nod. Connie practically lunged forward, engulfing her daughter in a suffocating hug, and Lyra clung onto her. She felt like a little girl again, cradled in her mother's arms where everything felt safe.  
"But I saw you, your body. The accident... You died," Connie's voice was muffled by sobs, her speech disjointed.  
"I can't explain it. I just woke up in the woods," Lyra reluctantly pried herself from her mother's grasp to meet her eyes, "I remember the crash. I remember... dying. I don't know why I'm here but I promise I'm real." Connie green eyes looked so dark, so sad. Connie had always tried to be positive, despite her abusive husband, despite her troubled son. Connie always approached every situation with a gentle, timid smile, and her eyes always used to twinkle like jewels when she laughed. The person Lyra was looking at now was just a shell of that woman, a sad, hurt person. She could see the pain and sorrow etched into her mother's features, and it broke her heart. She took a deep, shaky breath.  
"What happened... To Dad, and Toby?" she asked hesitantly. Connie's face fell more.  
"How did you...?"  
"Just tell me, please," Lyra held her mother's hands in her own. And so, with a deep breath, Connie began to relay everything that had happened in the year and a half after Lyra's death. How Toby was devastated and fell into a severe depression, his mental health worsening. How Toby snapped and stabbed her father to death with a kitchen knife. The fear in her mother's eyes as she spoke was almost palpable. Lyra on the other hand, simply could not imagine her Toby doing something like that. Quiet, timid Toby, who cried when he accidentally stepped on spiders. That Toby could never brutally murder someone.  
"Oh Lyra, after you died there was nothing I could do to help him. He would hallucinate, say the strangest things. He was irritable and delusional," Connie hid her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.  
"You did everything you could Mom...." Lyra murmured. Her mind was churning with all of this new information, specifically about Toby's mental state. He had never hallucinated before. She tried to remember her studies on psychology in school, but nothing immediately came to mind. Something else itched at the back of her brain, a memory that was trying to escape.  
"What kind of things did Toby say he was seeing?" She asked quietly, mentally digging into that forgotten memory.  
"Ridiculous things, shadow people, ghosts," she shook her head in exasperation, "He kept swearing up and down that he would see a tall man in a suit following him everywhere." Lyra swallowed hard, her stomach dropping like a stone.  


*********************************

Mom and Dad had been fighting again, and by the time he was on his twelfth beer of the night their mom had locked herself in her room, sobbing as she tended to her bruises. Lyra peeked over her book to where Toby was curled at the foot of her bed, knees hugged tightly to his chest and eyes wide. Lyra had always chose to sit quietly in her room to try and ignore the sound of chaos just outside her door, coping by reading books or studying hard for school. She hoped that once she graduated and got a real nursing job, her, Toby, and her mom would be able to save up to move away. That's the thought that helped her fall asleep at night. Toby on the other hand, was in a constant fight or flight mode when their parents fought. He was usually pacing, ears perked and eyes wide, waiting and ready to jump in and protect his mom and sister. Lyra hated when he did that, he was half the size and strength of their dad, who was more than happy to use him as a punching bag.  
Once the quiet, sniffling sobs of their mother had died down he turned to look at Lyra, dark brown eyes shining with worry.  
"We should go check on her," he mumbled. Lyra pursed her lips, noticing the rapidly darkening bruise on his chin. She had cleaned up his busted lip earlier. That's how it started. Dad got drunk and started to antagonize Connie, so Toby got snappy at him and received a harsh punch to the jaw. Connie jumped to her son's defenses, but there was no winning an argument with Frank Rogers. Lyra sighed and closed her book. She was worried about her mom too, but she needed to get away from this for a while, and she was sure Toby could use a distraction. Her stomach rumbled. They would go get some food and bring some back for mom. That was the least she could do.  
"We will later. Are you hungry?" Toby opened his mouth to perhaps argue, but nodded reluctantly.  
"I think the Diner's still open," she wiggled her eyebrows, "I'll get you a slice of blueberry pie, how's that sound?" Toby smiled and nodded, following Lyra as she crept out of her bedroom door. Frank had left to spend the night at a friend's house, so they had no problem fetching Lyra's car keys and their jackets. A small part of Lyra hoped her dad got a DUI on the way there, or maybe got into a car crash, but she squashed those thoughts down guiltily as they stepped outside. It was early summer, but in Colorado the nights were still quite chilly. They climbed into Lyra's Honda, pulling out of the driveway while the radio played some old classic rock station. It was Toby's favorite, so she turned it up and they sang together, belting out along with the Rolling Stones at the top of their lungs. The road was dark and curvy, but Lyra was a careful driver. She was paying attention, her eyes glued to the road. That's why she noticed the figure standing in the middle of the road before Toby did. It resembled a man in a suit, but it was tall, almost as tall as the trees. Its pale skin stood out in the night, and Lyra gaped. She could've sworn it had no face.  
She didn't have enough time to think about that before she swerved the car away from the mysterious figure, the world spinning around her, her ears filled with the screaming of twisting metal.

************************

After almost an hour of hugging and crying, the sun had begun to set and Lyra could feel exhaustion set in her body. Her mother led her upstairs, her pace quicker than Lyra, who was running her fingertips up the wooden banister. Her eyes drifted across the familiar wallpaper, paintings, and picture frames. It felt surreal to be back home. She felt nostalgic and relieved, but the shadows and dark memories of lurked just underneath. Bittersweet was the word she was looking for. The hallway branched in two directions. To the right was the guest bathroom and her parent's room, and to the left was her and Toby's room and the broom closet. She passed by Toby's bedroom door and hesitated before following her mother to her bedroom.  
"I left it the way it was. I just didn't have the heart to tear it apart," Connie explained, her voice strained and on the verge of tears again. She pushed open the door and Lyra's breath hitched in her chest. There was her bed, with the colorful quilted blanket, her desktop still had school books and scribbled notes strewn across it. Her window that overlooked the woods behind their house, the setting sun leaked through her lace curtains and bathed the room in a deep orange glow. She sat down on the edge of her bed. By the looks of it, her mother had continued to dust and vacuum the room every week, despite Lyra's death. She blinked quickly to get rid of the tears that had started to swell in her eyes. Of course her mom would. Connie knelt by her daughter's side and held her hand's in her own, caressing the back of Lyra's hand with her index finger.  
"You can borrow one of my night gowns for tonight, I'll throw some of your old clothes in the wash for tomorrow," Lyra nodded.  
"Thank you mom," she mewled, her voice barely a whisper. Connie's green eyes, which were now red and puffy, searched her daughter's face intently.  
"I just don't understand. How is this possible? How....How are you here?" she breathed, shaking her head. Lyra shrugged.  
"I really don't know mom." Connie sighed before kissing Lyra on the forehead and pulling some clothes out of her drawers to take to the laundry room. She closed the door behind her slowly, as though if she looked away too fast Lyra would disappear. Once the sound of her mother's footsteps disappeared down the stairs, Lyra allowed herself to flop onto her side, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest. She had seen that faceless creature the night she... the night she died. Was it some shared delusion she had with her brother? Or was there something more sinister plaguing them? Whatever it was, after her death it had clung onto Toby. Hesitantly, she crept to her bedroom door and opened it slowly, tiptoeing down the hall to Toby's room. She almost rapped her knuckles against the door, half expecting to hear his disgruntled "What?!" calling from the other side. Instead she took a deep breath to brace herself and turned the knob.  
It looked like nothing had changed. His bed was made, his rock collection and trinkets glinting at her once she flicked on the light. His schoolwork much tidier than hers was. The only difference was the thin layer of dust that had formed on the wooden furniture, and the achingly painful absence of her brother. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine him sitting at his desk, looking up from a book and giving her a lopsided and dimpled grin. She closed her eyes and hugged herself tightly. There was just no way Tobias would go batshit crazy like that, not without some sort of outside force. There had to be something bigger at hand, something she just didn't understand. But she would find out. She had to get her brother back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got around to posting a new chapter, whew!! Also, this is such a dumb question, but if any writers on here know how to properly copy/paste and format chapters, PLEASE give me tips. My chapter layouts always get messed up when I copy and paste XD. Anywho, thanks for reading!!


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